haedgeove



0. J. HARDGROVE.

i Horse Hay-Fork.

Patented March 19, 1867.

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IMIROVEMENT IN HORSE HAY-FORKS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: 4 l

Be it known that O. J. HARDGROVE, of Canton, Stark county, 0hio, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in Horse Hay-Forks, and dohereby ,declare that the followingl is a full, clear, and exactdeseripti-onof the same, Areferencebeing had .to the accompanyingdrawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part ofthis specification.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation.

Figure 2 represents a vertical section.

Figure 3 represents an inverted plan view, with the prongs spread out.

In the annexed drawings, A represents a hollow tube, which is made ofsuitable material, and within which is placed the lshaft B. This shaftis made so as to extend slightly above the top of the tube A, and isprovided with adisk, e, atthe loweriend; d represents a thimble, whichis secured to the end of the'tube, and made somewhat larger than thesame. To the extremity of the thimble are pioted four prongs, a a a anda', which are pointed, as shown, and readily turn upon their pivots. Theprong a is provided with a shoulder near its end, and made somewhatlonger than the others, so that when the prongs are closed, as shown infig. 1, they fold in behind the shoulder lof prong a", forming, as itwere, one penetrater. Qneof the prongs a is connected by a link, c, tothe bottom of the disk z, as they all may be if deemed necessary.' b isa meta-l springattached to the side of top of case A, and bent, asshown, to catch in a notch, 9:,4 in the shaft B, when said shaft isforced down. When .shaft B is forced down, the disk z strikes tlic innerends ot' the prongs a'a a' and u", and forces them all outwards upontheir pivots, and at right angles with the tube, (see fig. 3,) whilethcspring holds them by means of the notch. in that position.

' The operation of my device is as follows: The fork. is `suspended-froma beam by the rope-in the link y, when it is lowered into thehay in theposition of g. 1 ;fthen the shaft B is pressed, so that the diskseparates the prongsin the position of fig. 3, holding the hay. The forkis then lelevated and carried to the required position, when a cordattached to the spring I1 ispulled, drawing the spring outwards, whenthe weight of the hay forces the prongs down, and the implement is readyfor another operation. I

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is rlhe case A, shaft B, thimble d,with prongs a a and a', and' spring b, when constructed, arranged, andoperating in the manner as and for the purposes specified. v l

Asevidence that I claim the foregoing, I-have hereunto set my hand inthe presence of two witnesses.

' o. J. HARDGROVE.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. RAF ISAC HAzLizTT.

